The studio behind those stunning skyscrapers in Saudi Arabia, 10 Design, has designed a huge new mixed-use shopping mall in China. The building will allow visitors to hit the slopes once they're done sampling the sales, using what the firm calls the world's largest indoor ski center.
The project, named Huafa Snow World, is currently under construction in Qianhai Bay, in northwest Shenzhen. Once complete, it will include retail areas and restaurants, as well as entertainment facilities, but the big draw is obviously the ski center on top.
Unlike BIG's somewhat similar CopenHill, the ski slope will be enclosed in a 83-m(272 ft)-high and 441-m (1,446 ft)-long rooftop area. It will feature its own retail and entertainment areas, but most of the available space will be taken up by the actual ski slopes. Elsewhere, the development will include residential space, a luxury hotel, more retail space, as well as lots of green space.
"The visionary design for Huafa Snow World solidifies its strategic position at the heart of the burgeoning tech hub, Qianhai Bay, in northwest Shenzhen. Situated in a key location, conveniently linked to the airport and an intercity transportation hub, the new development provides locals with a place to gather, while easily attracting and connecting discerning business and leisure travelers from across the globe. Anchored by an 80,000 square-meter [860,000 sq ft] indoor ski resort, the largest of its kind in the world, Huafa Snow World boasts a rich mix of retail, entertainment, commercial, hospitality, civic and cultural components, creating a vibrant destination."
The project will also include some sustainability features. The huge sloping roof of the indoor ski resort will be finished in solar panels, which will reduce the grid-based energy required, both for the ski center itself and for adjacent commercial buildings. A water management system will collect rainwater for irrigating the landscaping, while a wetland reserve will manage stormwater.
Huafa Snow World is expected to be completed by 2025.
Source: 10 Design
